The burglars entered the house and took the vehicle keys before it was later found abandoned in nearby Inishowen Gardens. A parked car in Inishowen Gardens was damaged by the stolen car.

Elsewhere in Creggan at around the same time an oil drum was taken from a shed at Broadway and jewellery and a laptop taken from a house in the same area. A Toshiba laptop was taken from a house in Leenan Gardens nearby.

Mr Campbell said: "I would appeal to people if they are leaving their homes for even a short space of time that they always lock their windows and doors, back gates and if they have valuable garden tools and machinery that they are securely locked up at night."